Wait, it just got weirder

Now it's a pile o' cats.

A Thanksgiving Miracle and the Turkey Thing

So I needed new yarn for Fuzzyfeet#2 and sprung for new needles (no more sandpaper!!). But this, the yummiest wool ever, lives at AC Moore which is an hour away, but in the town where Paul works. On the day before Thanksgiving, my longsuffering husband went into a craft store and I directed him to the correct displays over the phone. HE BOUGHT YARN FOR ME!!!! True love. You may all proceed with the jealousies now.


You guys, after all of the discussion yesterday, I forgot to add the broccoli. Oh well, it's delicious. Here's what I made:


Turkey Thing

1 can swanson's chicken broth
1/2 c sliced fresh mushrooms
1/4 c sliced celery
1 can cream of mushroom healthy request condensed soup
1 can cream of celery healthy request condensed soup
1/3 c sour cream
1 c diced cooked turkey (about 50% light 50% dark meat)
1/2 c melted butter
6 to 8 oz pkg seasoned bread stuffing mix (I used family size stove top)
shredded cheese
seasoned breadcrumbs

Preheat oven to 350. Combine mushrooms and celery with chicken broth and let simmer briefly to pre-cook vegetables. Add soups and turkey and let the mixture bubble but not boil (med heat). Meanwhile, combine melted butter and stuffing mix in 2.5 quart dish. Add sour cream to soup mixture and stir well, then stir into stuffing mix. Bake at 350 for 20-30 minutes, until it gets hot and bubbly. Sprinkle with a little cheese (I used about 2 handfulls of colby jack) and seasoned breadcrumbs (2 smaller handfuls). Let the cheese melt in the oven, then remove. Eat.

Oh please mama, no more turkey. Can't... stop.... sleeping.

Older and wiser. Older, at least.

Enough knitting... how about some housewifery. Let me see:

• Turkey Day went surprisingly well. In fact, the turkey was done an hour early and I managed to pull together dinner with no problems. Not too shabby.
• I made stove-top (the cop-out, I know!) but stirred in sausage and celery I sauteed the day before. Highly recommend this.
• My pumpkin pie off the can recipe was good. It, however, makes a deep-dish pie. Remember this.
• Now I really want to make this chicken and dressing casserole.
• Except with turkey.
• There is a dead bird in the driveway. This is husband territory.
• After recipe hunting today (for one I already have to begin with) I'm starving. Ack.
• No news. Come on, news!!!!
• Wait, I changed my mind. I want to make this savory chicken and broccoli bake.
• Maybe I'd better go to the store.
• Edit, 6:08pm - I changed my mind. I'm adding broccoli to the first one.

Christmas

Due to the Thing of Which I Cannot Speak, Operation GROSs is in code extremo and chaos reigns. I've finished three knitting projects this week and I haven't started anything new, unless you count the thing I started and finished already. I'm not sure it should count. But it sure is festive.

And baby makes four.

So I'm getting around to the part where I stop starting to wonder about Christmas gifts and start really wondering about Christmas gifts. I'm a big fan of thwarting the man and sticking it to the system around Christmas. For example, why should I feel compelled to buy half of the GNP of China to make my loved ones feel loved? All I really want for Christmas is a spiral-sliced honey ham and some macaroni and cheese, heat in the house and a few days off of work for Paul. But I digress. The point is, we are going to keep Christmas very low key this year. Partially due to the fact that it's our first Christmas as married folks and we planned to stay home this year. Partially due to the Thing of Which I Cannot Speak. Partially due to the fact that Paul spent all his vacation on our wedding and honeymoon. Partially due to the fact that the Thing is expensive.

Which, somehow, leads me to Christmas knitting. I swear it does. I started my Christmas knitting like forever ago, but pretty much the only things I made were the Muppet Pelt and the Fuzzyfeet, and I had to give the M.P. for the recipient's birthday last Friday and the Fuzzyfeet are of questionable fit. Coronet hat consensus is that it is a girl hat, which limits the range of recipients. But I want to make sure that the recipient would like it. And I have no idea who to give it to. Arg!!

Then there's Fuzzyfeet#2, which I'm attempting because I brought FF#1 to a party and this guy was like... I'll give you $15 for some of those. Or $20. I want some. Who am I to refuse?? It's underselling a bit labor-wise but ... it's money. For knitting. Which, let's face it, I would be doing anyway. And the proceeds have already been invested in some new 10.5 dpns because I was sick of splinters and sanding the ones I had. Which by the way are 0.5 mm bigger than every other size 10.5 (7mm instead of 6.5). And the wool to make a pair is only $5. People, please.

So I guess I have no idea what I'm doing for Christmas knitting. I'm much faster at crochet so there is that.

I want to hide.

No more sock!

Look!!




Socks!





That's plural!

They're fraternal twins, but somehow midway through the bottom of sock #2 (right) it became identical. Gauge is a fickle friend, Harry. (Yes that was a Harry Potter joke.) (Shut up.)

Yarn: Lion Brand Magic Stripes in Purple Pattern.

Pattern: The one on the label. Yes, my creativity is astounding here.

Needles: Oh, I'm so glad you asked. Please see the gory details here, but in general, some size 4 Clover bamboo double points and some size 3 Boye aluminum double points. Both worked well.

Here they are again, basking in their finished glory. Behold!

Yes, righty (#2) is still a little spacious so I'm going to wash them in hot water. Now, I know what you're thinking, but the wool in this yarn is superwash so it can't shrink too much. *ahem*

I finished something!

Look!!

Pattern: knitty's Coronet

Yarn: Paton's Classic Wool Merino (100% wool) in aran, natural mix, and taupe - probably about 100g total, but it was all leftover yarn from the graphic bag.

Needles: Size 8 (5mm) Clover bamboo 7" double-pointed needles

Alterations: I did 13 repeats of the cable instead of 16 and it's still too big for my head, so there might be a gauge issue here. Also, the color changes were just my invention.

I don't know who this is going to. I don't need another hat. Also, no one seems to be able to agree if this is a boy hat, girl hat, or unisex hat. Thoughts?

Spin Cycle

Copied without any sort of permission from the fuzzyfeet pattern (bold is mine):

FINISHING
Felting slippers to sizeI felted the slippers shown here by running them through the wash cycle of my washing machine set on 40 C [105 F] with a tablespoon of a mild liquid soap and a towel for added agitation. It is essential to check the status of the slipper every few minutes and stop the agitation process when it reaches the desired size.

Riiiiiiiight. So here's what happened.

For some reason completely beyond my mental grasp, I decided to do a test-felting before I even started the fuzzyfeet. Because ... well.... I wanted to make sure the yarn would felt. Nevermind the fact that the label on Paton's Classic Wool clearly states, "Ideal for knit, crochet and felted projects." We are not so much into reading labels. Crazy talk. So I knitted a test swatch, took a picture with a scale, and ran it through the agitation cycle inside of a sock closed with a hairband. With two towels, or something. Anyway, I ran it a couple times through the same portion of the cycle (the beginning) and dutifully took pictures. This is science, people.




Before....

Felted Magic.

So given the fact that I'm a complete dork and went through all these trials, one would think that I would take even more care when I actually got around to felting giant socks. One .... would be wrong.

I was so excited to get felting on Saturday morning that I threw those suckers right in and started cooking breakfast. The washing machine is practically in the kitchen so this is not in essence a problem. There is a door between the washing machine and the kitchen, and we NEVER close it while the washer is running because if the washer decides to take a walk we'll never be able to get back into that room without breaking in through the window. Paul came to keep me company while I made eggs. They were done shortly.

We sat down to eat.

I heard the washer's distinctive clang as it stopped spinning.

Paul had shut the door.

When the door is shut, you can't hear a thing, except for that clang.

Since I couldn't hear the washer, I forgot it was running.

I ran - which is difficult in the gauntlet that is our kitchen - to the laundry room and rescued the fuzzyfeet. There was luckily no walking of the washer so the door wasn't shut forever. In one pass through the whole "heavy" cycle, up to the rinse (which thank goodness it didn't get to) the feet shrank to about 7 inches long. Pre-felting, they were 13 inches long. We spent a few tense moments stretching them while wet - I know you aren't supposed to but I had nothing to lose - and their final dry length is 7.75 inches. They were intended for Paul's grandmother, whose size 6 foot is supposedly 9.something inches long. Not... so much.

So, here they are.

They are definitely fuzzy.

Before:

After:

There's a story behind this.

Unfortunately, I don't have time to tell it right now. Coming soon...

Any Last Words?

I thought I'd throw in my size 8 foot for scale.

Felting is tomorrow!

Inquiring minds want to know (hence, "inquiring")

Oh boy, Thanksgiving is now officially less than a week away, and Paul and I are fast approaching the first major holiday as a married couple. We've been together for a few years and survived the holidays (and ensuing relatives) a few times, but this is the first time that anyone is coming to us for a holiday. Fortunately, I give myself a little credit for kitchen talent (with or without the occasional kitchen dancing) and I'm not so much worried about the actual cooking as planning for cooking, cleaning, and entertaining my parents and my sister.

Which is why we are going to the bulk store and buying enough wine to soothe a small country.

Then there's the rampant commercialism, which can be kind of fun, and probably enough leftovers on day two to feed... well, a small country. A country approximately the size of my house. But whatever. We can handle this. We have a plan. I have a plan!

It's two pages long, plus a calendar, and I don't have nearly enough wine on it yet.

------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------



You guys are probably dying to know what some of my unfinished works of knitting genius look like. At least, that's what I told myself after I was looking through old cat pictures for a contest on catster and saw this one. Maddie is lying somewhat contently on part of the graphic bag. It looks like that, except without so much cat.

In fact, Paul and I "found" it yesterday. I knew where it was, but it got buried by clean clothes quite a while ago and lived contentedly until we decided to put away Clothes Mountain yesterday and I pulled it out. It's half sewn together - this bag has one side attached to the strap and one side still roaming free. Seeing it again made me want to finish it even more than the vague nagging of an unfinished project, so maybe once the fuzzy feet are done I can give it a whirl.

Speaking of fuzzies, I'm 4 rounds into the toe decreases - the end is near.

As the Heel Turns...

I can't believe I'm the first to say that. I can't be, right? Right??

Anyway, the Fuzzyfeet. Here is #1:

In case you are wondering, it is 13 inches long. Not that I measured it out of sheer awe at the giant sock. Because I totally did.

And Fuzzyfoot #2:

The heel has turned! I picked up my stitches along the gusset (I think? The pattern is too far away...), knitted 2 rounds and went to bed. Funky Llama has conquered the sock. Foot. Thing. Whatever. I want to have them done this weekend because Paul and I are going to S-burg to watch the USC game, and the same people saw us last week with only the one footthing completed and I want them to see the finished product. Because I'm a dork like that.

I am a dork

I am a dork and I obviously have WAY too much free time. Which isn't really free due to my little list of doom down there in the previous post.

And kids, remember not to fill up our landfills with stuff that could be reused.

(please steal the button if you want) (I'm talking to you, Rhett)

It begins...

Not to tease, but something Important is happening soon that will likely very much infringe on my time for knitting and blogging. I can't say what it is yet, because it is super-double-secret, but there are three things that need to happen now now now:

1. finish correcting my thesis
2. continue the purge of unnecessary things from my house (Operation GROSs)
3. finish writing thank you notes from the wedding

Operation GROSs is my brainchild and stands for (brace yourself for rudeness) - Get Rid Of Shit(s). I'm telling you, it's easier to do with a catchy slogan. (And as a girl raised in the south, I know that it's okay to say just about anything if you are over 18 and quoting someone or at least give fair warning.)

There isn't an easy way to measure my progress using Operation GROSs, which is unfortunate because I like rewards. Maybe I can count trashbags?

Portrait of Knitting

(click for bigger)

Q & A: On learning to knit again with Magic Stripes

Question: Hey, Stephanie. We've heard a lot about this elusive Magic Stripes sock. It was trouble, it was shaped funny, it was on hold for ever. Now it's another tragic story? Please. We're going to need pictures.

Answer: Gosh, I'm so happy you asked, stranger with my writing style. Let me tell you about my second knitting project ever. I think.

It all started many moons ago, or at least sometime in 2004. I think. Anyway, I wanted to knit some socks. This is after the Knitting Revival, in which I came crawling back to knitting after a hiatus of approximately 14 years. What can I say, I had no technical support and I could (and still can) crochet like a madwoman so my yarn needs were satisfied. Anyway, I made a fun fur scarf and then considered myself intermediate, so I got some sock fixings and got going. The problem is that AC Moore stopped carrying sets of 5 double pointed needles in (US) size 3, which is the size recommended for these socks. No amount of torturing the sales staff could fix this. I decided, finally, that I might knit tightly anyway and bought some size 4s. Off I went, la de da. A sock was born. I was so proud.

It's kind of big, so Marie made fun of it. But Marie makes fun of other people's lunches, so I didn't take her too seriously. It fits me kind of loosely. And at that point, Christmas Crafting Fever took hold and I worked on other projects, leaving my sock to hang out in a plastic bag for a few months. I did cast on for sock #2, and worked through the top and about halfway through the heel flap. But then it wasted away in a bag for (more) months.

One of my intermediate projects was Paul's sweater, which has a dramatic history of its own; the most notable part of that history is the part where I re-learned how to knit. I discovered the very, very hard way that you always bring the yarn around the needle counter-clockwise or else every stitch is twisted and there is a slant and you've ruined everything, ahhhhh!!! Oh, the heartache. Oh, the mockery I endured when I kept ripping out the bottom of that sweater (which I was also resizing in the process, so I should get crazy wild credit there). But I am a changed woman. I did it. I knit properly now, and much faster!

Which led to my trepidation regarding the sock. Half of it was not knitted correctly. I am such a perfectionist, but I knew NO one else would ever wear those socks, and NO one would ever know, and I was NOT ripping out what I already did - so I picked up right where I left off, and finished the sock! Aren't you proud!! I got over my little hurdle!



Sort of.

Do you see the problem? Here, let's try another angle.




Apparently twisting stitches changes the gauge. A lot. Enough that within minutes of these photos being taken, I ripped back to where I'd picked up again, slid in my size 3 double points (I have 2 sets now, since I made such a big deal about not being able to find any), and got back to work. But my heart is not in it.

Which explains the crowd of works in progress - I'm drowning my sock sorrow in new projects.

The Detergent is in the Details

Did you know that if you run the dishwasher and forget to add detergent that nothing gets clean? Yeah, me too. That didn't stop me though, I was on a mission! A clean dish mission!

Knitting content on the way.

This blog has been brought to you by the letter C

C being Christmas, of course. I mean it is November and all.



I finished the Muppet Pelt on Sunday morning. As I mentioned before, the pelt is for my mother (although it seems to be quite popular). So here are the stats:


Pattern: This little baby is 16 stitches wide, all knits. So - garter stitch. Why there must be a specific name for just knit stitches, I do not know.

Yarn: One strand Red Heart Pale Plum, one strand Lion Brand Fun Fur in Confetti. I used maybe 1/8 (this is a complete guess here) the skein of Red Heart and 2.5 skeins of Fun Fur.

Needles: Size 15 (10mm) Clover bamboo straights. They could totally kill vampires.

---

So even though I have about a million half-finished projects, and even though I really, really didn't need to, I convinced myself last night that there is no time like the present to teach oneself how to do cables. I entirely blame some blog I was reading yesterday that linked to a no-cable-needle-cabling tutorial (by the way, in retrospect, the technique makes perfect sense). I ditched the cable needle immediately and used a spare double-point instead, which isn't really avoiding the spare needle. But I digress. I started looking for an easy cable pattern, but none of the cabled hats or scarves in my books looked simple enough. (Note: I seem to be intimidated by a difficulty rating of "Expert". "Advanced" has no affect on me.) Finally I found knitty's Coronet, which I promptly started. Started.... by learning a provisional cast-on. Oooooh. Then I figured out the cables. This cable pattern gives the appearance of being braded, and in the 8-row repeat the cables cross only twice. The rest of it are just normal old stitches. Maybe to you seasoned knitters this is just par for the course, but to me it is magic. They cross twice.. but it braids! How can this NOT be magic??

So I'm trying to justify Coronet by thinking about who might get it for Christmas. Who wears brown? I have some light kind of off-white and a "natural" color all in the same wool that are going to be part of the top, since I don't think I have enough of any one of them for the whole hat. Oh and there's the fact that this is 100% wool and wool is precious and I love it. So this can't just go to anyone. And knitting with my precious wool might have made me a little wool-crazy. Not that that's a bad thing. But I don't want to go back to the stash that has so much Red Heart I want to scream.




Yes, this stash. Paint used to protect the extremely guilty. And there are something like 3 baskets of yarn sitting around looking decorative. I NEVER said I didn't have a problem, people. What I need is more arms.

Basketweave - just in time!

So I don't think that Paul's mother reads this site. I figure if she did, she would have mentioned it. With that in mind, here is one of her Christmas presents:

Yes, it is a basketweave ("magic") scarf. With edges. It's a bit longer than this now, and lives on different needles. Here is the problem - I'm sick of it. It takes for-ev-er. And there's a goof up - you can't see it in this picture, but I assure you, it is in the future of this picture. Current past. Hope that makes sense. But it's worsted yarn on size 8 needles and it's driving me crazy. So I started making a scarf my mom asked for a bazillion years ago, and now that I'm faster at knitting (in general) it won't take a bazillion years to make. I'm calling it a Muppet Pelt scarf because, well, that's what the girls at youknitwhat would call it. I'm willing to accept the fact that I'm knitting the pelt of a Muppet.

D is for Dead Muppet!

Anyway, the point of this is that basketweave is officially moving from the front burner to the back burner or possibly the warm oven for the time being. The mother-in-law's birthday is in March. Do people still like scarves in March?

Looook, I was gonna be lazy and then wasn't. Are you proud? This is the basketweave scarf today. Obviously in need of a good blocking.

Pests and Bugs

You guys, I am a slug. A total and complete slug. I start this knitting blog, and then I left you all hanging. Hanging! Well Happy Halloween, I am back.

First off, allow me to defend myself and say that I was, indeed, on vacation. Of sorts. I was staying in the Great White North with my mother-in-law. For some people this would be less "vacation" and more "vision of Hell" but I'm one of the people that luck out and get a mother-in-law who not only doesn't mind that I stole her one and only child away, but likes me. So anyway, for part of this time Paul was actually there too interviewing for jobs. My purpose was more of the househunting persuasion, with the occasional bout of shopping and learning my way around. It's funny how when I'm home I spend time on the internet blogging, looking up stuff, and other assorted internetty things, yet out of town I hardly touch it. See also: knitting.

I didn't really accomplish any knitting while I was out. I got home on Saturday at 6am on the train, which is a time NO ONE should be awake, much less on a train, and slept the rest of the morning in my own happy bed. Sunday I finally gave in and updated my yarn inventory - something that needed to be done, apparently, because there were four partially completed potholders in there - and now I have a grasp of how much yarn I do not need to buy under any circumstances no matter how good the sale is. No matter!

And... I think I caught something on the train. No, I haven't been cavorting with seagulls or chasing live chickens. I do have a little sniffle though, and I think I have to buy NyQuil. I wonder if I have to be fingerprinted or have blood drawn or something to buy NyQuil anymore. Meth lab people: please leave my NyQuil alone. Or at least, use the green flavor only. Thank you.

No really, there are some updates to be made on my knitting adventures. Unfortunately, I can't make them right now. But you should stay tuned. Because you never know.